MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 February 1918, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

tain- R. C. Brewster, G. H. Ray and R. F Mitchell; Lieutenants J. X. Hines. A. C. Hunter, H. Johnston. D. M'Auley, and C. .T. Pierce; Second-Lieutenant* A. Farquhar, C. A. Gray and E. K. Gray. Military Medals have been awarded to seventeen New Zealanders. rcaptain R. C. Brewster is probably Dr. Brewster, of New Plymouth.] BRITISH GENERAL STAFF. NEWSPAPER CRITICISM. Sydney Sun Correspondent. . London, .Tan. 21. The Daily Mial's attacks on the General Stall have brought the question of the reorganisation of the superior appointments into acute prominence. Mr. fx)vat Fraser in the Mail asserts that the Passchendaele battles were the British Verdun, despite the heroism of undaunted soldiers. He adds: : 'Thc German Verdun resulted in General Falkenhayn's dispatch to obscurity in the wilds of Asia." The Daily Express states tliat the sudden and violent outbreak of feeling against the exclusion of new men from high commands has been a feature of the week. Liberal Ministers, headed by Mr. Fisher, are leading a revolt against the old regime. The Pall Mall Gazette regards failure as due to the restriction of staff appointments to professional soldiers whom Mr. Garvin describes as the closest trades-union in the world, but the Morning Post asserts that over half the appointments 'liajve already been given to Territorials and officers in the new army. The Weekly Dispatch states that a crisis has developed between Lord Derby anil Sir William Pnhortson owing to the latters eccentricities and autoc.-n powers. Forecasting Lord Derby's resignation, the Westminster Gazette remarks that attacks have been ministerially inspired. The Star says that apparently Sir Douglas Haig and Sir William Robertson, like Admiral .Tellicoe, are to be ''bynged" without bloodshed, the reference being to Admiral Byng's end.

labor demands. £LL ROUS© FOOD RATIONING. JIAN POWER SCHEME OPPOSED. London, Fell. 4. The conference of the National Union of Railwaymen at Leicester passed a resolution demanding all-round food ra tioning, and advising the branches not to W6ik on Saturdays, when the members should stand in the food queues instead of thewomen. The Dftilv Telegraph states that though'a demonstration at Glasgow yesterday denounced the Man Power Bill the general situation on the ins the weekend improved. Meetings in various shipyards and engineering shops pledged the men to support the Government. , A meeting in Newcastle supported the executive of the Amalgamated Engineers. PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION. DISCUSSED BY THE LORDS. ' AMENDMENT insisted on. Received Feb. 5, 11.50 p.m. London, Feb. 4. In the House of Lords, Lord Selborne 4 moved that the House do not insist on the proportional rjpressntation amend- ' meat, but that it insert an amendment oil the lines that Mr. Asquith had suggested. Lord Selborne said the existing scheme inflicted a cruel injustice on agriculture. Proportional representation was in. accord with the highest democratic principles. He had no forebodings about this tremendous experiment in democracy', providing Parliament applied the only principle which could give the real reflection of the people's will. As a compromise, he asked the House of Lords to return the Bill with a clause giving effect to the recommendations of the Speaker's Conference. Lord Selborne's motion was carried by 86 to 35. Lord Harcourt said the Lords were beading straight for another defeat. They would not dare to destroy the Bill and face a national disaster. Lord Lansdowne appealed to Viscount Curzon to throw his weight on the side of Lord Selborne's reasonable compro- . mi»e. The responsibility of wrecking the Bill would then M with the House of Commons.. • Lord Crewe desired the experiment to ba tried, but he did not believe the House of Commons would accept the scheme. The serious objection would' be London opposition. Vicount Curzon said- it was essential to prevent the two Houses from coming into conflict, the House of Lords had. not shown a wrecking attitude. Personally,, he hoped an experiment would, bflr made with proportional representation. The House' of Lords insisted on the amendment,, rejecting the alternative vote by 66 to 29.. AfOOD HOARDER. A STIFF FINE. Received Feb. 5, 10 p.n>. . London, Feb. "4 1 . Mr. 3. M Mac Caw, M.P. for County Down, was chared at. Oxted with food lauding, pounds of rice, itib pounds of biscuits, and 102 pounds d£ sugar at Ms country house, and 100 poqsih of rice, 132 pounds of tapioca, ud other goods at his town house in Eaton Square. He was fined £4OO. THE NON-FERROUS BILL. Received Feb. 5, 10 p.m. London, Feb. 4. The House of Lords agreed to the third reading of tha Non-Ferrous Bill. ZIONIST MISSION TO PALESTINE. London, Feb. 4. The Government has approved a Zion*st mission to Palestine to investigate the measures necessary to strengthen the Zionist colonies there, including the establishment of a Jewish university. Land has already been purchased, therefore steps will be taken to prevent land speculation. AWARD OF MILITARY CROSSES. j London, Feb. 4. Military Crosses have been awarded n New Ze&laaders; Can-